RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/GC/M/105 
6 December 2006 
 (06-5838) 
General Council 
7 November 2006  
 
 
 
MINUTES OF MEETING 
 
Held in the Centre William Rappard  
on 7 November 2006  
 
Chairman:  Mr Eirik Glenne (Norway) 
 
 
Subject discussed :  Accession of Viet Nam – Report of the Working Party 
(WT/ACC/VNM/48 and Add.1 and 2) 
1. The Chairman  said he wished to welcome, on beha lf of all Members and observers, the 
delegation of Viet Nam to the meeting, and reca lled that in January 1995, the General Council had 
established a Working Party to examine Viet Nam's request for accession.  The report of the Working 
Party was now before the General Council fo r consideration and adoption in documents 
WT/ACC/VNM/48 and Add.1 and 2. 
2. In his capacity as Chairman of the Working Party , he said that as Members were aware, this 
day marked an historic milestone in the evolution of the WTO into a truly global organization.  With 
Members set to decide on the terms of Viet Nam's en try in the WTO, this meeting and the fact that 
Members were gathered in this session of the Ge neral Council for this purpose signalled a collective 
mark of confidence in the open and liberal multilatera l trading system represented by the WTO.  He 
recalled that Viet Nam had requested accession to the WTO in January 1995, and that the first 
meeting of the Working Party had taken place on 30-31 July 1998, under his predecessor as Chairman, Mr Seung Ho (Korea).  The Working Pa rty had met 14 times, of which nine had been 
conducted by Mr Seung Ho.  He wished to convey,  through the delegation of Korea, Members' 
sincere thanks to Mr Seung Ho for his valuable wo rk and for his dedication and commitment.  With 
the Geneva process formally engaged, the accessi on process had gained visible momentum in the 
period 2002-2006.  With an economy as vibrant as Viet Nam's, both the multilateral and bilateral 
negotiations had been complex, de tailed and time-consuming.  Overall, Viet Nam's accession process 
had stretched over a period of more than 11 years.  He wished to pay tribute to Viet Nam's authorities, and its team of devoted and committed negotiato rs, which had taken on the challenges of the 
accession process squarely and had met them boldly, rapidly and constructively, responding promptly 
to the numerous requests made by Members, right up to  the very final stages of the negotiations.  This 
success had come because of Viet Nam's commitment to its dynamic domestic reform process and to the admirable work done in Hanoi in enacting an d implementing WTO-consis tent legislation at a 
hectic pace.  Praise and appreciation also went to the WTO membership, which had never failed to show flexibility and goodwill to c onclude this accession process succe ssfully.  He congratulated all 
concerned, including the Secretariat, for bringi ng this very important accession process to such a 
satisfactory conclusion. 
3. The results of the negotiations constituting the te rms of entry of Viet Nam into the WTO were 
contained in the following documents:  the re port of the Working Party (WT/ACC/VNM/48), the 
Schedule of Concessions and Commitments in Go ods (WT/ACC/VNM/48/Add.1) and the Schedule WT/GC/M/105 
Page 2  
 
 of Specific Commitments in Services (WT/ACC/VN M/48/Add.2).  This accession package had been 
adopted by the Working Party at its meeting on 26 October 2006 on an ad referendum basis.  By this 
action, the Working Party had completed its mand ate and had forwarded the documentation to the 
General Council for decision as appropriate.  The Appendix to the report reproduced the draft 
Decision for the General Council a nd the Protocol of Accession of  Viet Nam to the Agreement 
Establishing the World Trade Organization.  In acco rdance with usual WTO practice, the Protocol of 
Accession incorporated, by reference, the specific commitments undertaken by Viet Nam in the report 
of the Working Party.  He again wished to pay tr ibute to the continuous efforts, goodwill and spirit of 
compromise shown all around.  In the crucial final st ages, the traditional spirit of pragmatism of the 
WTO had prevailed and had allowed the Working Part y to conclude its work.  The results achieved 
spoke for themselves.  He commended the report of the Working Party, as well as the draft Decision 
and Protocol of Accession for approval and adoption by the General Council. 
4. The General Council approved
 the text of the draft Protocol of Accession of Viet Nam1 as 
contained in the report of the Working Party and,  in accordance with the Decision-Making Procedures 
under Articles IX and XII of the WTO Agreement agreed in November 1995 (WT/L/93), adopted  the 
draft Decision on the Accession of Viet Nam as contained in the report of the Working Party.2  The 
General Council next adopted  the report of the Working Party as a whole in documents 
WT/ACC/VNM/48 and Add.1 and 2. 
5. The Chairman  said it gave him great pleasure to welcome the Decision Members had just 
taken on the Accession of Viet Nam to the WTO.  Accession to the WTO was a long and complicated 
negotiation – which had taken 11 years in Viet Nam's case – but all would agree that the final package 
of terms and conditions of entry reflected the c onstructive spirit with which Members and Viet Nam 
had participated in the process.  Viet Nam's fort hcoming entry into the WTO represented an important 
further step towards its fuller integration into wo rld trade and into the world economy.  Viet Nam's 
economic performance of recent years, together with the substantial tr ade and economic reform 
programme it had been undertaking, would certainly play an important role in smoothing its entry into 
the WTO.  From a systemic point of view, Viet Nam's entry also constituted another step towards 
greater universality in WTO membership and would a dd to the depth and diversity of the WTO.  He 
wished to congratulate the delegation, people and Government of Viet Nam on the successful 
completion of the WTO process.  With regard to the further steps towards Viet Nam's formal entry as 
a WTO Member, he informed delegations that a ceremony for the signature of the Protocol of 
Accession would be held immediately following the present meeting.  The Government of Viet Nam 
would then submit the Protocol for ratification by its legislative assembly.  In keeping with WTO 
provisions, Viet Nam would become a Member of  the WTO 30 days following the date of its 
ratification of the Protocol of Accession. 
6. The Director-General  said that the arrival of Viet Nam as its 150th Member was an important 
day for the WTO family.  As in any family, the arrival of a new member was a moment of relief, 
satisfaction, joy and celebration.  Relief for th e mother, satisfaction for the midwife, joy and 
celebration for the relatives and neighbours.  He th erefore wished, on his own behalf as well as on 
behalf of the Secretariat, to extend the warmest  welcome to Viet Nam. This accession was not only 
important for Viet Nam, but for the organization as well.  With Viet Nam joining in, the WTO demonstrated to the world that the multilateral tr ading system continued to show its uniqueness, 
comprehensiveness and attractiveness.  Becoming a fully-fledged member of the family, Viet Nam 
would be able to benefit from the market access and global trading rules which had been developed 
over the past 50 years.  It would also be able to  use the WTO dispute settlement system to solve its 
possible differences with other Members, and fully participate in the ongoing negotiations to design 
the trade rules of the future.  Members would not be here at this time but for the courage and 
                                                     
 
1 Subsequently circulated  in document WT/L/662. 
2 The Decision was subsequently also  circulated in document WT/L/662.  WT/GC/M/105 
 Page 3 
 
 
  determination shown by the Vietnamese leadership.  Eleven years earlier , which was when the WTO 
had been born , Viet Nam had embarked on the long trip to wards the WTO.  This was part of a wider 
opening of the Vietnamese economy under the "Doi Mo i" policy.  This membership would help Viet 
Nam firmly anchor these reforms and continue, as it ha d done in previous years, to use trade opening 
as an engine for economic growth and development.  He wished to mention in particular Minister 
Truong Dinh Tuyen and Vice-Minister Luong Van Tu, who had led a team with continuous efforts 
both at the negotiating table and at home.  He be lieved that without them, Members would not have 
been able to celebrate this historic moment at the present time. They had been a good team and were 
tough negotiators.  They had had a clear vision.  Th ey had been determined, skillful and persistent, 
even in most difficult situations – and there had b een some – and this was why he believed this team 
deserved the respect of the WTO membership and th e thanks of the Vietnamese people.  He also 
wished to thank the Chair of the Working Party and the Secretariat for their hard work on this 
accession.  Although Vietnamese was not an offici al WTO language, he nevertheless wished to say 
"xin chuc mung" – in English, "congratulations". 
7. The Chairman  confirmed that the signing ceremony for the Protocol of Accession of Viet 
Nam, to which he had referred to earlier, would take place at 1 p.m. that day.  Given that many more 
delegations might wish to express their welcome an d support to Viet Nam at the present meeting than 
could be accommodated in the time available, he invited coordinators of  regional and other WTO 
groupings to speak first, and urge d all delegations who were represen ted in such groupings to show 
restraint in taking the floor subsequently.  All de legations who were unable to speak at the present 
meeting, and who nevertheless wished to be placed formally in the records of this meeting as having 
expressed their welcome and support to Viet Nam, co uld indicate their names to the Secretariat, which 
would then ensure that this was reflected in the minutes of the meeting.  
8. All representatives who spoke congratulated  Viet Nam on the conclusion of its WTO 
accession process, welcomed the Vietnamese delega tion to the meeting and congratulated Deputy 
Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem, Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen, Vice Minister Luong Van Tu, 
Director General Khanh, and the extremely skilled negotiating team for their contributions to the 
success of this process.  They also  paid tribute to the Chairman of the Working Party for his 
leadership, skill, expertise and patience, and to hi s predecessor, as well as to the Secretariat for its 
hard work and commitment.  They looked forward to working closely with Viet  Nam as a fully-fledged 
Member of the WTO in the very near future. 
9. The representative of Brunei Darussalam , on behalf of the ASEAN Members , said that 
ASEAN was satisfied with its involvement during the accession process and that it would soon be 
represented at the WTO by nine of its 10 member countries, leaving just the Lao People's Democratic Republic as the last ASEAN country awaiting completion of its WTO accession process.  Viet Nam was an important trading member of ASEAN and of the world.  Based on 2004 WTO trade figures, Viet Nam was the 50
th largest exporter and the 44th largest importer, accounting for US$56.7 billion of 
merchandise trade.  With the addition of Viet Na m to the ranks of the ASEAN at the WTO, the new 
ASEAN would become the fourth largest trading group, with merchandise exports at US$568 billion and merchandise imports at US$499 billion, making it a trillion dollar trading bloc, just behind the 
EU, the United States and China in international merchandise trade volume.  During the past few 
months, a lot of hard work and flexibility had been demonstrated by Viet Nam in continuation of its multi-year quest to become a WTO Member.  Obvi ously this hard work was bearing fruit.  The 
ASEAN Members commended Viet Nam for all its efforts and the extensive commitments it had 
made during the accession process.  With such remarkable developments, Viet Nam had proven its readiness and entitlement to become a fully-fledge d WTO Member.  As one of the world's most 
dynamic economies that had yet to join the WT O, Viet Nam's accession was a significant step 
towards making the WTO a truly representative global  trade organization.  Given its ongoing trade 
and economic development experience, Viet Nam w ould be a valuable Member of the WTO.  The 
ASEAN Members were confident that Viet Nam would play its part and contribute to the WTO's WT/GC/M/105 
Page 4  
 
 objectives.  Needless to say, WTO membership would al so enable Viet Nam to reap the benefits of a 
rule-based multilateral trading system, as well as c ontribute positively to the world economy.  In 
closing, the ASEAN Members were pleased to be presen t at this meeting to take this final step in 
formalizing Viet Nam's membership in the WTO a nd looked forward to welcoming Viet Nam to sit 
amongst Members and to witness its constructive i nvolvement in this venerable institution as its 
150
th Member.  The accession of Viet Nam would provide a further catalyst for the faster economic 
integration of ASEAN to achieve its vision of an ASEAN Economic Community.  It was also ASEAN's hope to see the Lao PDR accede to the WTO as soon as possible for the effective participation of ASEAN as a whole in the WTO. 
10. The representative of Bangladesh
, on behalf of the LDCs , said it gave him immense pleasure 
to welcome Viet Nam to the WTO as the 150th Member.  The LDCs wished to assure the delegation 
of Viet Nam of their utmost support and cooperation in the WTO.   
11. The representative of Saudi Arabia , on behalf of the Arab Group , said the accession of Viet 
Nam would no doubt enhance the multilateral trading system and strengthen the WTO as a global institution.  
12. The representative of Chile
, on behalf of GRULAC , said that 11 years of intense negotiations 
had proven not to have been in vain, and Viet Nam's hard work had been  rewarded by the present 
meeting's decision.  This was an important moment  for Viet Nam, which confirmed its commitment to 
the multilateral trading system and revealed the ma ny, and at times difficult, domestic adjustments 
that had needed to be made to its laws, regulations  and trade practices to make them consistent with 
the founding principles of the GATT/WTO.  For Me mbers, this represented a further step towards a 
truly universal organization.  He wished to take  advantage of this opportunity to call for renewed 
efforts to ensure that pending accession processes, in  particular those of LDCs, were brought to a 
prompt and expeditious conclusion.  Viet Nam wa s a major trading force, whose foreign trade had 
grown at an annual rate significantly above the Asian average, and it had negotiated a number of 
regional trade agreements with its ASEAN partners  which, together with its accession to the WTO, 
would improve these figures yet further.  As part of Viet Nam's accession commitments, its 
authorities had ensured that the country's trade laws and regulations would be in full conformity with 
its WTO obligations, thereby ensuring a transparent and fair system.  GRULAC welcomed Viet Nam 
as a new member of the WTO family and looked forward to its participation and contributions, in particular in regard to th e Doha Development Agenda. 
13. The representative of Benin
, on behalf of the African Group , said the Group wished to 
congratulate the Vietnamese authorities for the ex cellent work they had achieved over the past 
11 years, which had led to the recommendations of th e Working Party to invite Viet Nam to accede to 
the Marrakesh Agreement.  The fact that the Gene ral Council had just adopted this report, including 
the Decision and the Protocol of Accession of Vietnam to the WTO, was to be welcomed.  These recommendations were right and legitimate, given the efforts made and the level and quality of 
reforms carried out by Vietnam over the past few years – reforms of its legislation and foreign trade 
so as to ensure a framework that  encouraged investment, liberalization and diversification of its 
economy, to promote development and fight agains t poverty.  These efforts were illustrated by the 
excellent results which had been produced, such as the very steep increase in exports of more than 
21.6 per cent, and the growth in investment, whic h had increased 8.4 per cent in 2005.  The African 
Group hoped that the international community would c ontinue to support Viet Nam in its efforts, and 
wished Viet Nam full success. 
14. The representative of Romania
, on behalf of the CEFTA-plus Members3, said that while this 
process had been long and sometimes difficult, the result of it, which was belonging to this 
                                                      
3 Bulgaria, Croatia, FYROM, Moldova and Romania.  WT/GC/M/105 
 Page 5 
 
 
  organization, would bring Viet Nam predictability an d transparency in its trade relations, which were 
essential for any developing nation.  Trade relations  of the CEFTA-plus countries with Viet Nam 
would further develop.  The multilateral system of  rights, obligations and rules would support the 
steady efforts of Viet Nam in transforming its economy into a more efficient one, and one more 
integrated into the world economy. 
15. The representative of Brazil , on behalf of MERCOSUR , said this was an historic occasion for 
the WTO and an important step in the strengtheni ng of the multilateral trading system, as well as a 
recognition of the relevance and vitality of the organization.  MERCOSUR wished to congratulate 
Viet Nam on its achievements and for the spirit of  compromise it had shown in the lengthy process 
that was reaching its conclusion at the present meeti ng.  MERCOSUR also wished to congratulate the 
General Council Chair, who had served as Chairman of the Working Party on Viet Nam's accession, 
for his efforts to bring this pr ocess to a successful conclusion, and also to congratulate Mr Seung Ho, 
the former Chair of the Working Party, for his effo rts.  MERCOSUR was ready to work together with 
Viet Nam in the WTO. 
16. The representative of Korea  said this was a great day for Viet Nam and the WTO.  Viet Nam 
had a dynamic and vibrant economy with a rich cultura l and historical heritage.  Viet Nam's accession 
would not only expedite its economic growth through  its deeper integration into the world economy, 
but would also contribute to enhancing the credib ility and stature of the WTO as the world's sole 
universal trade organization.  Korea also belie ved that Viet Nam's accession would enhance its 
leadership at the upcoming APEC Leaders' Meeting in Hanoi at the end of the following week.  Korea 
was confident that Viet Nam would play a crucial ro le in adopting a stand-alone joint statement by the 
APEC leaders and thereby re-energ ize the Doha Round from its hibernation.  Korea would continue to 
work closely with Viet Nam to make this happen.  Korea had an important economic relationship with 
Viet Nam as its sixth largest trading partner and as the fourth largest investor in Viet Nam.  Viet 
Nam's accession would further promote bilateral tr ade and investment as well as enhance substantial 
cooperation between the two countries.   
17. The representative of the European Communities  said that as Minister Tuyen had put it two 
weeks earlier, the long road since 1995, when Viet Nam had first applied for WTO membership, 
resembled a protracted, relentless courtship deemed  to lead to a successful marriage.  He was 
persuaded that it had been a road worth taking, as one had seen a remarkable transformation of the 
Vietnamese economy and trading regime along the wa y, and the emergence of a nation which fully 
embraced the values and principles of the multilate ral trading system the WTO represented.  The 
world could no longer ignore Asia's second fast est growing economy.  With annual GDP growth 
averaging 7.5 per cent for the past five years, th e final step on this road, WTO membership, embodied 
this well deserved recognition of Viet Nam.   WTO membership would benefit both the WTO and 
Viet Nam alike.  The WTO would receive a new Member with a booming economy and impressive growth, offering significant new opportunities for trad e and investment, and a country which had truly 
earned its place in this institution of trading nations.  He was proud to  be sitting at the present meeting 
representing the EC.  The Community had been the first major trading bloc among Members to conclude a bilateral deal with Viet Nam in October 2004.  That deal had injected great impetus into 
the process to bring Vietnam closer to the WTO, in  such a way that a negotiation that had lasted 
almost 10 years until then had thereafter been conclu ded in barely two years. During that period, the 
Community had proudly taken the lead in supporting Vietnam's economic integration, with numerous 
initiatives. The Community had supported Vietna m through various regiona l and bilateral TRTA 
projects. 
18. Obviously the challenges of WTO accession should not be underestimated.  Some issues still 
remained to be solved, including simplification of  administrative procedures, increasing transparency 
and predictability on important issues such as licen sing and the future equalization process in areas 
such as telecommunications and banking.  Intellectual property and, in particular, enforcement, would WT/GC/M/105 
Page 6  
 
 also require focus and attention in the years to come.   The Community had been truly impressed by 
the speed and determination with which Viet Na m had embarked on reforming its economy during the 
WTO accession process.  More than 20 laws had been  amended, formulated and ratified in just a two-
year time span. The implementation of these new in struments configured a new functional and non-
discriminatory framework for commercial activities and pr ovided both an important basis, but also the 
final decisive steps, to establish the new open tradin g regime of Viet Nam.  His delegation wished to 
pay homage to Minister Tuyen's team and the Vietna mese leadership more generally for their courage 
and resolve in undertaking the in-depth reform of  Vietnam's economy since the early 90's through the 
"Doi Moi" process.  The Community was convin ced that Viet Nam's WTO membership would 
provide the ultimate guarantee for these positive devel opments to continue in coming years, thereby 
demonstrating the benefits of WTO membership and its ability to foster grow th and development to 
the benefit of the domestic population at large.  As  to the special relationship between Viet Nam and 
the European Union, the Community had always ha d a very close and friendly bond both in the area 
of trade and in other related areas such as economi c cooperation, education and culture.  This warm 
relationship had been put on a new height with th e so-called Master Plan on the Future Relationship 
with the EU by 2010.  As a corollary to that, Eur ope had had the honour to be  the destination of Prime 
Minister Dung in his first official visit since his designation as Prime Minister in June 2006.  The Community was looking forward to establishing a new facet of its partnership with Viet Nam in the context of the WTO, with a view to enhancing trad e and building the domestic capacity base to enable 
its fullest integration in the global trading system. 
19. The representative of the United States
 said that Viet Nam's accession to the WTO 
represented a tremendous accomplishment for that count ry and marked an important milestone in an 
impressive evolution of economic reform that had onl y just begun.  Viet Nam, at present, was well 
along in its ambitious programme of liberalization, based on the basic rules of the WTO.  Progress to 
date had been truly impressive.  Viet Nam's gro ss domestic product had nearly doubled in the past 
five years, from $31 to $52 billion.  Through great er trade liberalization, a more open investment 
environment, deregulation and expanded transparency , Viet Nam had unleashed the potential of its 
people and natural resources and ha d emerged as a competitive force in the region and the global 
economy.  It had worked hard to prepare for WTO me mbership and to make the changes needed in its 
domestic legal and regulatory system.  As part of  the accession process, Viet Nam had enacted over 
80 new laws and regulations to bri ng its trade regime into consistency with WTO rules.  Members of 
Viet Nam's National Assembly deserved a great deal of credit for the present accomplishments and 
for their work in drafting and enacting these many new laws.  The National Assembly presently also 
had an important stake in the WTO process, and wo uld likely play an increasingly important role in 
maintaining the current momentum and continuing to advance the domestic economic reform process, 
and its first order of business would hopefully be the ratification of the accession package. 
20. For the United States, the opportunity to welcom e Viet Nam into the WTO was a particularly 
important and long-awaited privile ge.  Over the past 30 years the relationship between the two 
countries had undergone a metamorphosis.  There wa s no country more proud to welcome Viet Nam 
to the family of trading nations than the United States.  The two countries had enjoyed a strong and steady growth in their trade relationship since their bilateral trade agreement had gone into effect in 
2001.  Viet Nam's accession would mean even great er opportunities.  The United States was confident 
that implementation of Viet Nam’s WTO commitment s would lead to a further expansion in two-way 
trade and closer economic and investment linkages between the two countries.  As their bilateral 
relationship grew, the United States also looked fo rward to working with Viet Nam in the WTO to 
advance their common goals of greater trade liberalization and more open markets.  Viet Nam's joining the WTO, and the hard work that had gone in to making this a reality, was a vote of confidence 
in the WTO, and Viet Nam was an important addition to this organization 
21. The representative of Australia
 said his delegation wholeheartedly endorsed the present 
General Council decision to accept Viet Nam as a new WTO Member in accordance with the terms of  WT/GC/M/105 
 Page 7 
 
 
  its Protocol of Accession.  Austra lia wished to thank the Chair of the Working Party, the Secretariat 
and all others who had helped to  take this important process forward.  Australia had been a long-
standing supporter of Viet Nam's WTO membersh ip, reflecting its strong trade and investment 
linkages with Viet Nam, but also a deepening cooperation across a range of fields.  Australia 
commended the commitment of Viet Nam in maki ng the necessary preparations and changes for 
WTO membership.  The commitments Viet Nam ha d made in the context of its high-quality WTO 
accession package would promote greater certainty and opportunities for increased trade and would contribute further to the strength of the multilateral trading system.  More importantly, WTO membership would contribute significantly to th e further development of the Vietnamese economy 
and to the prosperity of its peopl e.  Viet Nam had undergone some 20 years of unilateral liberalization 
of its economy, and the rewards had been clear.  WT O accession was the next step in this process of 
global integration, to which Viet Nam's leader ship was strongly committed and which Australia 
strongly supported.  Australia also welcomed Viet Nam's bringing to the WTO over the coming years the same perspective it had demonstrated over r ecent years and during the accession process – a clear-
sighted understanding of the relationship between economic growth, developm ent and prosperity, and 
an open and competitive economy.  The way in which Viet Nam had embraced reform of its 
agricultural sector and had emerged as the world' s largest exporter of cashews and second-largest 
exporter of coffee and rice had been particularly impressive.  The present year was an important one 
for Viet Nam, as it was completing its WTO ac cession negotiations and hosting APEC leaders in 
November in Hanoi.  The meetings in Hanoi w ould be an important opportunity under Viet Nam's 
leadership to reinforce the importance all attached to the WTO and the Doha Round. 
22. The representative of China
 said this was an historic day for Viet Nam and for the WTO.  
China congratulated Viet Nam for the successful  completion of its accession negotiations after 
11 years of hard work, and on becoming the 150th Member of  the WTO.  The unremitting efforts 
made by the Vietnamese Government to go thro ugh the long and complicated process to join the 
WTO fully demonstrated its great dedication and de termination to stick to the policy of opening and 
reform, and to be integrated into the multilateral trading system.  In order to obtain what Viet Nam 
had achieved today, the Vietnamese Government ha d made tremendous efforts to meet the highest 
standards for an acceding Member, which had by no means been an easy task.  China had great 
admiration for the Vietnamese people on their su ccess in ensuring rapid and sustainable economic 
growth.  Over the past 20 years, as one of the mo st vibrant economies, Viet Nam's GDP growth rate 
had been among the highest in the world.  Its fore ign trade and foreign investment had expanded very 
rapidly.  As a result, Viet Nam had become a very important trading nation, and the living standard of 
its people had improved substantially, which in itself was a great contribution to the prosperity of the 
world economy.  His delegation fully shared the vi ew that Viet Nam's accession at the present time 
was a great boost to the morale of the WTO which,  due to the suspension of the negotiations, was not 
in the best shape.  This accession was no doubt the br ightest spot and most important event this year 
in the WTO.  It demonstrated that the multilatera l trading system was still relevant and alive and 
would become stronger and more universal with the accession of Viet Nam.  As a close neighbour and trade partner of Viet Nam, China's bilateral tr ade with Viet Nam had increased very rapidly. 
23. The representative of India
 expressed his country's great satisfaction that the process of Viet 
Nam's accession was now complete.  WTO procee dings would no doubt be immensely enriched by 
the participation of one of the world's fastest growing economies.  The pe rspective of rapid and 
successful development that Viet Nam brought to the WTO would benefit all Members.  In its 
accession process, Viet Nam had shown the willingness to strengthen transparency and predictability 
in its trade regime, qualities that were the essence of the rules-base d multilateral trading system.  The 
success of Viet Nam's efforts to join the WTO was also testimon y to the success of the internal 
reforms introduced through the "Doi Moi" policy.  At  a time when there had been little to cheer, this 
was a very heartening development.  India was convi nced that Viet Nam would make its presence felt 
in the negotiations when they resumed and would co ntribute to a balanced outcome that addressed the 
concerns of all Members, especially developing countries. WT/GC/M/105 
Page 8  
 
 24. The representative of Argentina
 said his delegation wished to echo the words of welcome 
expressed by Brazil for MERCOSUR.  It was a great pleasure for him personally to experience this historic day when Members took this decision on the entry of Viet Nam into the WTO after so many 
years of work together.  Argentina was one of th e Members that had concluded rapidly its bilateral 
negotiations with Viet Nam in November 2004, signi ng the formal agreement a few months later.  It 
was in those months that his delegation had clear  indications that the accession process would end  
relatively soon and would be successful.  Since then, Viet Nam's accession process had been on the 
final track to completion, despite the short time availa ble, thanks to the fact that all delegations – and 
in particular that of Viet Nam – had worked with the same objective of achieving a successful 
conclusion to this process.  That work was now fini shed.  Argentina wished to underline the excellent 
cooperation it had had with the dele gation of Viet Nam at all levels, from the Ministerial to the level 
of each individual member of the delegation.  Argent ina hoped it would be able to continue this work 
together with Viet Nam in the WTO, and in particul ar in the Doha negotiations.  He wished to thank 
the Secretariat and the Director of the Accessions Division for their support, as well as the Chairman 
for his wise leadership as Ch air of the Working Party. 
25. The representative of Zambia
 said his delegation endorsed the statements by Bangladesh for 
the LDCs and by Benin for the African Group.  The accession of Viet Nam to the WTO had brought 
added value to the organization.  Furthermore, th ere was no doubt that all Members, especially those 
from the developing world, would gain a lot from th e accession of Viet Nam, a country whose people 
were well known for hard work and discipline, factors which had made the Vietnamese economy 
grow at a remarkable rate within a short time.  H opefully, the WTO would move rapidly to see that all 
the remaining developing countries in the process of accession became part of the WTO family as 
soon as possible. 
26. The representative of Japan  welcomed the decision on Viet  Nam's membership to the WTO 
and congratulated the huge achievement of Viet Na m.  Viet Nam's commitments to liberalize its 
foreign trade regime and market access were trul y substantial, and Japan appreciated Viet Nam's 
enthusiasm and sincere efforts, which had been demonstrated throughout the accession negotiations.  
The Japanese Government as well as private indust ry attached great importance to Viet Nam's 
accession, based on the belief that Viet Nam's integr ation into the multilateral trading system could 
contribute not only to Viet Nam's economic developm ent, but also to the expansion of its economic 
relations with various countries.  In this contex t, on the occasion of Prime Minister Dung's visit to 
Japan in October, Prime Minister Abe of Japan  had expressed Japan's continued support of Viet 
Nam's integration into the world economy, particul arly in the post-WTO accession period.  Japan was 
pleased that the WTO now included such an importa nt Member, and was convinced that Viet Nam's 
accession to the WTO would further strengthen the multila teral trading system and the validity of this 
organization. 
27. The representative of Uruguay  said the accession of Viet Nam after 11 long years of 
negotiation was an historic event.  He was convin ced that this would have fruitful consequences in 
terms of economic development for that country and for the strengt hening of the multilateral trading 
system.  Generally, throughout the process, all ha d worked shoulder-to-shoulder with Viet Nam and 
other members of the Working Party hoping for the su ccess that was now being celebrated, both in the 
multilateral negotiations and in bila teral negotiations on market access.  An additional Member in this 
organisation was bound to be good news for the Doha  Round of negotiations, especially at this 
particular time.  Members had met with some di fficulties and problems, but despite this, had never 
stopped growing.  It might take some time to finalize the Doha Round successfully, but Members had 
always been successful in their endeavours.  He was positive that the accession of Viet Nam at the 
present juncture was a happy signal that bode well for the outcome of the negotiations. 
28. The representative of Pakistan  said that at this memorable moment of relief, satisfaction, joy 
and celebration, as the Director-General had said,  Pakistan wished to acknowledge and appreciate  WT/GC/M/105 
 Page 9 
 
 
  Viet Nam’s continued commitment, devotion and patience to achieve what it had sought some 
11 years earlier.  At the present stage, when negotiati ng partners were in dire need of fresh blood and 
brains in moving the Doha process forward, Viet Na m’s addition to the WTO family was particularly 
significant.  Pakistan's brief message to Viet Nam was that with it on board, it felt more strengthened 
in all bilateral, regional and multilateral trade fora. 
29. The representative of Chinese Taipei  said his delegation recognized the enormous effort and 
commitment Viet Nam had put into its accession negotiations over the past 11 years in order to finally reach the present stage.  Chinese Taipei had also experienced, during its own lengthy accession 
process, the extremely tough challenge of having to  bring its trade regime into compliance with 
international practices.  However, despite the pain  and friction this had sometimes caused, Chinese 
Taipei was in absolutely no doubt that both its  economy overall and its domestic consumers had 
benefited enormously from being able to operate in a more open and liberalized trading environment.  
Chinese Taipei was therefore able to state with some confidence that Viet Nam's accession to the 
WTO, and its further integration into the global economy, would bring about long-term benefits in 
terms of its economic development,  and would forge stronger links between Viet Nam and its trading 
partners, including those in the region. 
30. The representative of Norway
 said the adoption of documents ensuring the accession of Viet 
Nam to the WTO meant that Viet Nam had achieved the WTO compatib ility of its trade policies, and 
hence that the country had a natural place at the WT O table.  The Vietnamese negotiators had been 
dedicated and skillful.  They had demonstrated great  insight into the challenges of negotiation and had 
proven themselves worthy of Members' highest re spect.  Norway wished to commend especially 
HE Truong Dinh Tuyen, Minister of Trade, a nd Mr Luong Van Tu, Deputy Minister and Chief 
Negotiator, who during the negotia tions, had fully appreciated th e necessity of finding practical 
solutions to politically sensitive issues.  Bilate ral protocols between Norway and Viet Nam had 
already been signed more than a year earlier.  Vi et Nam's WTO membership would be an important 
step in the strengthening and further development of trade and economic re lations between Norway 
and Viet Nam.  It would contribute to improved co nditions for economic operators in both countries.  
Several Norwegian companies were already present in  Viet Nam.  Viet Nam was a major country in 
Southeast Asia and its WTO accession would be impor tant and of great value not only to Viet Nam, 
but also to the multilateral trading system. 
31. The representative of Djibouti  said that Viet Nam's accession would contribute to the 
strengthening of the WTO.  As some delegations had said, this accession would give a new lease on 
life to the WTO and would revitalize the multilateral trading system.  It would also renew Members' 
confidence and trust in the current WTO system.  The organization was truly becoming universal.  Only a handful of countries remained waiting at the door of the WTO, and the more applications that 
were received and the more candidates that were taken on board, the more the system would expand 
and the more Members would have confidence in the system.  He assured Viet Nam of his 
delegation's full support in  its initial period of adjustment to the WTO. 
32. The representative of Canada
 said that like other speakers, Canada wished to draw particular 
attention to the professionalism, leadership and unw avering resolve of Viet Nam's negotiating team 
throughout the accession negotiations.  This augured very well for Viet Nam's future participation in 
the work of the WTO.  Canada and Viet Nam were  already enjoying mutual benefits from the rapid 
rise in investment and trade relations between the two countries.  These benefits would be further 
enhanced as a result of the decision the Council ha d just taken.  The accession of Viet Nam would 
enrich the organization and each of its Members. 
33. The representative of Cuba  expressed his country's satisfaction at being able to welcome Viet 
Nam as a new Member of the WTO.  This was an important step on the way to turning the 
organization into a truly universal one.  The presence of Viet Nam would be an important WT/GC/M/105 
Page 10  
 
 contribution, particularly for other developing-count ry Members.  Viet Nam, which had almost been 
raised to the ground by two colonial wars, was now in a full economic expansion and ascension and 
was sparing no effort to achieve development in a sp irit of social fairness.  It had made enormous 
progress on its per capita income in barely 10 years and had increased its GDP by a very high percentage.  Impressively, in less than a decade, Viet Nam had gone from being a recipient of food aid 
to being a growing exporter of agricultural products and of services.  Viet Nam had achieved a 
sustained rate of growth of roughly 7.5 per cen t annually, making it one of the fastest growing 
economies in the world.  At the same time, its fore ign trade had grown at a rate of more than 20 per 
cent annually.  The accession of Viet Nam was oc curring after an extended process of 11 years of 
intensive and difficult negotiations during which, as  in other cases, a number of developed-country 
Members had requested it to go further than the normal commitments that these countries themselves 
– when they had been at a similar level of economic  development – had been expected to make, thus 
limiting Viet Nam's national policy space and the economic instruments it could use, which had been available to other countries at a similar level of ec onomic development.  One example was that all of 
Viet Nam's agricultural subsidies had had to be bound at zero, although this wa s not a legal obligation 
in this organization, given the current stalemate in the Doha Round negotiatio ns.  Cuba invited other 
Members during the remaining negotiations in th e Doha Round to display as much flexibility, 
pragmatism and compromise as had recently been ask ed of Viet Nam in bringing its accession 
negotiations to a successful end.  Cuba urged once again that pending accession processes be completed as speedily as possible, especially for LDCs .  Cuba pledged to work together with Viet 
Nam for the mutual benefit of both these two countries and of all Members. 
34. The representative of Hong Kong, China
 said this was an auspicious occasion and a milestone 
achieved through many years of hard work.  Over  the years, Viet Nam had put in commendable 
efforts in its economic reform and trade and investment  liberalization.  As an important player in the 
Asia-Pacific region, Viet Nam's accession signified the importance attached to  the global application 
of a sound multilateral system. 
35. The representative of Switzerland  said Viet Nam was a country with an important and 
significant economic capacity and an enormous poten tial both in the agricultural and industrial areas, 
and welcomed its accession.  The WTO was taking on board a choice partner when it came to international economic and interna tional relations.  Viet Nam's accession would strengthen the Asian 
presence within the WTO.  As the Asian region was a particularly dynamic section of the community 
of Members of this institution, Switzerland was also grateful for this happy development.  As pointed 
out by previous speakers, the accession process of Vi et Nam had lasted 11 years.  This negotiation 
had had two specific consequences:  First, Viet Nam had learned the way the WTO worked and the 
ins and outs of the characteristics and regulations of  the institution;  second, Viet Nam had been able 
to prepare its economic set-up and legislation to  ensure a harmonious integration into the WTO 
system.  Therefore, Viet Nam's participation in th e work of this organization would be an active and 
constructive one, and Switzerland pledged full cooperation with Viet Nam in this regard. 
36. The representative of New Zealand
 said her country recognized the enormous effort and 
resources that Viet Nam had invested  in this process.  It had been a long and demanding road, but Viet 
Nam should take great satisfaction on having achie ved a successful outcome.  New Zealand had 
worked closely with Viet Nam bilaterally in APEC and in other regional fora and was pleased to also 
be able to do so within the WTO. 
37. The representative of Nepal  said his country noted with satisfaction that Viet Nam had made 
significant economic reforms focussed on market orie ntation, liberalization and transparency.  Viet 
Nam was one of the fast-growing countries in its region, and the tremendous progress made by Viet 
Nam in international trade was highly commendabl e.  The integration of Viet Nam into the 
multilateral trading system would provide an opport unity for further trade creation through expansion 
and diversification of trade.  WT/GC/M/105 
 Page 11 
 
 
  38. The representative of Peru  congratulated all Members for this very important achievement, 
which would strengthen the WTO and give the or ganization greater momentum to pick up the 
negotiations as early as possible.  Viet Nam was an important and ever-g rowing commercial partner 
for Peru.  Viet Nam was also a very important an d active member of APEC, and that was why Peru 
was pleased that a brother country was becoming the 150th Member of the organization. 
39. In addition to these statements, and in keeping with the procedural suggestion made in this 
regard by the Chair at the outset of the meeting, the representative of Mexico  submitted a statement 
for inclusion in the records of the meeting4, and the representative of Egypt  wished also to be placed 
on record as welcoming and supporting the accession of Viet Nam. 
40. The representative of Viet Nam , speaking as an observer , said he was greatly honored, on 
behalf of the Government of the Socialist Repub lic of Viet Nam, to attend the present Council 
meeting and to witness the signing ceremony of Viet Nam's Protocol of Accession to the WTO.  This 
was an event of great significance, marking an impor tant step for Viet Nam's participation in the 
global trading system on an equal footing with all other Members.  This event also represented the 
international community's warm affection for the accomplishments the Vietnamese people had 
achieved in their comprehensive socio-economic reform and proactive international economic 
integration, with a view to achieving the full real ization of the goal of "a  wealthy people, robust 
nation, a just, democratic and civilized societ y", as well as for Viet Nam's contribution to 
development-oriented cooperation the world over.  On behalf of the Government of the Socialist 
Republic of Viet Nam, he wished to express his h eart-felt gratitude to the Director-General and the 
Secretariat, and in particular the Director of the Accessions Division and his very able staff.  He also 
wished to extend his thanks to members of the Work ing Party, especially to the Chair of the Working 
Party on the Accession of Viet Nam, as well as to all Members for the well-demonstrated goodwill 
and support extended to Viet Nam throughout its  accession process.  It was these Members' 
enthusiasm, understanding and prof essionalism that had been instrumental to achieving Viet Nam's 
WTO membership.  Viet Nam would always treas ure and remember such lofty and unforgettable 
deeds.  He also wished to extend sincere thanks to various countries who had put such trust in Viet 
Nam's faithfulness and tireless efforts for WTO accession, that they had accepted Viet Nam's 
commitments without requiring further bilateral negotiations.  Viet Nam highly valued the great 
efforts made by the 28 Members who had entered in to bilateral negotiations with Viet Nam and, 
together with Viet Nam, had achieved balanced and mutually beneficial agreements.  This showed the 
importance attached to doing business with Viet Na m – a country with a dynamic economy and an 
important component of a region that possessed high potential for economic growth.  He also wished 
to thank Members for their expressions of best wish es, warm feelings and high appreciation extended 
to the Government and people of Vi et Nam on this important occasion. 
41. Sixty years earlier, immediately after regain ing independence, President Ho Chi Minh, the 
great founder of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam, had put forth strong and clear guidelines for 
the country's policy of opening up and integration in to the regional and world economy.  In a letter 
addressed to the UN Secretary-General in 1946, he ha d solemnly declared that:  "Viet Nam is willing 
to implement an opening and coope ration policy in every single area as follows:  Viet Nam will 
extend favorable conditions for investment by foreign investors and technicians in all fields of their 
specialization;  Viet Nam stands ready to open its seaports, airports and roads, in service of 
international trading and transit;  Viet Nam is contented to join every international economic 
cooperation organization under the auspices of the Un ited Nations".  Looking back, the Government 
had been deeply moved by the fact that, at such a time, when the very  survival of the nation had been 
at stake, the first president of an infant state that  had just gained independence after nearly a century 
under foreign colonialism, had already been able  to demonstrate a very far-reaching vision in 
conveying such a clear and thoughtful message to th e whole world, reflecting the strong desire for 
                                                      
4 The statement by Mexico is reproduced  in the Annex to the present records. WT/GC/M/105 
Page 12  
 
 peace and international cooperation of the Vietnamese pe ople.  However, due to the historical context, 
with successive wars fighting for independence, free dom and territorial integrity, as well as suffering 
from decades-long economic embargoes a nd blockades, Viet Nam had not been able to fully translate 
that wish into reality.  Since the end of the 1980s  and the beginning of the 1990s, together with the 
implementation of internal socio-economic reform , Viet Nam had undertaken a foreign policy of 
opening-up, diversification and mu ltilateralization of its internati onal relations, demonstrating its 
willingness to be a trusted friend of and reliable pa rtner for all countries.  Viet Nam had steadily 
embarked on an integration policy in a proactive manner, starting from regional to interregional, and 
finally arriving at the global level.  In the 199 0s, Viet Nam had joined ASEAN/AFTA, had become 
one of the founding members of the Asia-Europe Meeting Forum, had joined the Asia Pacific 
Economic Cooperation Forum and had started WTO acces sion negotiations.  In particular, as the host 
of APEC 2006 later that month, Viet Nam would be holding the 14
th APEC Economic Leaders' 
Meeting in Hanoi.  And today, in the beautiful, peaceful and hospitable country of Switzerland, Viet Nam was becoming a fully-fledged member of the WTO – an important leap forward for its profound, 
broad-based and comprehensive inte gration into the world economy. 
42. Viet Nam's full accession to the WTO coincided with  the fact that a review of the results of 
the 20-year period of reform had just been conducted, and that at the same time the target of bringing 
the country out of the level of low economic development by the year 2010 had been set up.  To achieve this target, Viet Nam would speed up co mprehensive reforms, complete a full market 
mechanism, improve administrative management capacity, and accelerate administrative reform and corruption eradication.  It was his Government's  sincere hope that WTO membership would open up 
new opportunities for Viet Nam to expand its market and attract more foreign investment and 
technology for development.  He strongly believed that as a market with a population of about 85 
million and GDP growth for many consecutive years among the fastest in the world, a very peaceful 
country with a stable socio-political environment, and a beautiful tourist attraction with very friendly and hospitable people, Viet Nam would continue to be an attractive market and a trusted destination 
for foreign investors.  He added that according to forecasts, GDP growth rates in 2006 might reach 
8.2 per cent.  Therefore, he shared the view expre ssed by others that Viet Nam's membership in the 
WTO would benefit the WTO and Viet Nam alike.  For its part, his Government would strictly 
implement Viet Nam's commitments and actively c ontribute to the common tasks of the WTO.  He 
sincerely hoped that other Members and the Secr etariat would continue actively to expand their 
support and cooperation and provide Viet Nam with the necessary assistance to fulfill its 
commitments.  In this spirit, he was strongly c onfident that with its own serious preparation and 
efforts, together with the kind cooperation and keen  support of other Members, Viet Nam would be a 
responsible and reliable Member a nd would effectively contribute to the common goal of establishing 
a mutually beneficial, fair and balanced multilateral trading system.   
43. The General Council took note
 of the statements and of the expressions of welcome and 
support for Viet Nam. 
 
  WT/GC/M/105 
 Page 13 
 
 
  ANNEX  
 
Statement submitted by Mexico  
 
 
 It is a pleasure for me today to extend, on  behalf of Mexico, a very warm welcome to 
Viet Nam as the 150th Member of this Organization.  The accession of Viet Nam is indicative of the 
relevance of the WTO in the 21st century as an organization representative of the complex spectrum of 
cultures which contribute to global trade.  I also greatly welcome the work undertaken by the Working 
Party and during bilateral negotiations with Members.   This work has meant that, at the forthcoming 
APEC Ministerial Meeting (to be attended by Me xico and hosted by Viet Nam), the accession of 
Viet Nam to the WTO will be a fait accompli .  This objective would not have been possible without 
the extensive reforms that Viet Nam has been implem enting over the last two decades, that is to say, 
the adoption of market principles, liberalization of  its economy and improved domestic transparency.  
The fruits of these reforms have translated into an  annual GDP growth rate of almost 10 per cent.  
This high growth rate was made possible by dome stic improvements which favoured a climate more 
conducive to business and investment, including signif icant reductions in import barriers.  Bilateral 
trade between Viet Nam and Mexico has increa sed from US$110 million to US$380 million over the 
last five years.  Exports from both Viet Nam to Mexico and Mexico to Viet Nam have enjoyed impressive annual growth of around 50 per cent.  This new trade strengthens Viet Nam's position as a 
major trading partner in the Pacific region and ope ns up new opportunities for job and wealth creation 
and the diversification of both economies.  Mexico pl ayed an active role in the Working Party on the 
Accession of Viet Nam and held a considerable numbe r of bilateral meetings which led to the signing 
of the bilateral protocol on 27 April 2006.  For this reason, as a Member of both the WTO and of 
APEC, Mexico strongly supports the adoption of th e Report of the Working Party on the Accession of 
Viet Nam. 
 
__________